Yin + Yang
Yin and Yang. Black and white. Parasympathetic and Sympathetic. Wait, what the heck is that?
Our bodies have a sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic mode (rest and digest). These modes can be flicked on and off like a light switch, however being the society that we are today, we tend to stay ON 24/7. Always being in that “fight or flight” mode could be causing physical problems and stopping your body from healing.
Our bodies are incredibly smart and wired to SURVIVE. These bodies are ancient machines and really haven’t changed much over the course of the last tens of thousands of years. So despite our modern ways of living, we still react to stress as if a tiger was chasing us. And with our busy western lifestyle, demands, etc, stress is higher than ever. This causes us to spend a lot of time in fight or flight mode. When our bodies are in fight or flight mode, the most important thing at that time is to run or fight. Things like healing, reproductive health, and digestion are literally put on hold. Our bodies no longer put energy in these areas because they are no longer of utmost importance.
So consider what happens to you when you spend 40+ hours a week stressed out at work. Even the hours you lie in bed worrying about deadlines, whether or not you’ll meet sales quotas or perform as your boss wishes. Whether your relationship is going well, if you paid that bill, if you’ll be able to put your kids through college, let alone pay of your own student debt, and the list goes on. Your body is living in fight or flight mode at a completely insane proportion. No wonder your periods are irregular, your sleep sucks, you’re tired, infertile and digestion is less than optimal.
Acupuncture is incredibly effective at getting your body out of stress mode and into parasympathetic, or “rest and digest” mode. Allowing processes like sleep, healing, reproductive health and digestion to occur with ease. It isn't always just to have fun, but incredibly important to unwind, disconnect and give your body some rest. It's literally what the doctor orders!
